Pumpboxes are widely used in many industrial and metallurgical applications. Typically, material such as suspensions or slurries enters the pumpbox from where it is transferred to another part of a processing plant. Conventional pumpboxes typically comprise a vessel in communication with a pump which operates continuously or semi-continuously to pump material away from the vessel.
In some industrial processes, such as froth flotation plants, pumpboxes are often associated with equipment such as flotation cells. In many conventional flotation plants, tails streams from one or more cells (or banks of cells) are sent to a pumpbox from where the stream is pumped to another part of the plant or to tailings dams or the like.
In flotation cells, maintaining a constant fluid level in the cell is crucial in order to achieve smooth and consistent operation of the process, and the highest possible recovery of valuable mineral. Typically, the control of the fluid level is achieved within the flotation cell itself. However, locating level control mechanisms within a flotation cell tends to create problems with wear and maintenance.
Thus, there would be an advantage if it were possible to provide a pumpbox that provided means for controlling the fluid level in an associated flotation cell. In addition, there would be an advantage if the pumpbox also provided means for classifying the stream exiting the flotation cell and entering the pumpbox.
It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.
Throughout this specification, the term “comprising” and its grammatical equivalents shall be taken to have an inclusive meaning unless the context of use indicates otherwise.
The present invention is provided to solve the problems discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and aspects not provided by prior pumpboxes of this type. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.